Students of Bangladesh Medical College Hospital (BMCH), the first private medical college in the country, have been demanding reforms in its governing organization, Bangladesh Medical Studies and Research Institute (BMSRI).
The students have demanded that a representative from BMCH be on the Executive Committee of BMSRI.
The BMSRI governs BMCH, Bangladesh Dental College (BDC), and Uttara Adhunik Medical College Hospital (UAMCH).
The current committee does not have any officials from these three institutions.
The chairman of BMSRI, Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, the former agriculture minister, has been missing since the ouster of the Awami League government. Maj Gen Md Rafiqul Islam (retd), a governing body member of BMSRI, confirmed the matter to Dhaka Tribune.
Under the constitution of BMSRI, Engr Kh Mesbahuddin Ahmed, the vice-chairman, is performing duties as acting chairman of the body. Rafiqul Islam confirmed that a meeting will soon take place to decide what will happen to the Executive Committee.
On August 29, in the face of student protests, Dr Abdus Sabur Miah, director of BMCH, resigned. The students levelled allegations of corruption and backing Chhatra League leaders against Dr Abdus Sabur.
The last nail in the coffin was a list of doctors and students who were involved in the July Revolution submitted to the law enforcement authorities.
A copy of the request for a list signed by Dr Abdus Sabur by a law enforcement agency was obtained by Dhaka Tribune. However, it could not be confirmed whether it had been sent or not.
On August 31, a group attacked the students when some UAMCH students were protesting for reforms in BMSRI in front of its Dhanmondi Office. Students alleged that the attackers were backed by the former chairman of BMSRI.
Rafiqul Islam confirmed a case has been filed on the incident and one member of staff has been suspended.
Lazim, a student of BMCH, said: “We joined the Quota Reform Movement on July 16 and formed a human chain in front of the hospital. Later we held a small rally supporting the students of the movement.”
Requesting to remain anonymous, a student said: “The students who were active in protests received threatening messages from the Chhatra League President of BMCH.”
Dr Moshiur Rahman Musa, a doctor at the Emergency Department of the hospital, said he received a threatening phone call from an unknown number for giving emergency treatment to injured students during the movement.
Dr Fuad Kader, a lecturer in the microbiology department of the hospital, claimed Chhatra League members occupied the emergency department from the afternoon of July 19.
He said: “It is unfortunate that BMCH is the first private medical college but they did not give admission to a single protesting student. Some doctors did not even give any primary treatment to the students.”